


Danny Boy

by writerlester



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: College AU, Lowkey egobang, M/M, art major!arin, based off of a prompt, different first meeting, funny oneshot, music major!danny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 05:09:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9864272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerlester/pseuds/writerlester
Summary: Prompt: Oh good, an empty practice roo-HOLY SHIT. Why are you lying on the ground in the dark?!





	

Danny practically flew out of class, not bothering to wave goodbye to his friend Ross, an art student, who was cackling behind him. He knew he looked ridiculous, but at this point he didn’t give a shit.

He had to make it to the practice rooms before they were all taken.

Danny was a third-year music major at this university, currently studying vocals. His recital was coming up in two weeks and he’d be damned if he didn’t get to a practice room today. He was hyped up on Skittles, he hadn’t slept properly in three days, and he was a music major on a mission. God help anyone that got in his way.

As he reached the building with the practice rooms, he took the stairs three at a time, sending up a silent message of thanks for his long, thin legs that allowed him to leap up to the fourth floor. He scrabbled for his bag as he took long strides down the hallway.

He paused in front of the myriad of practice room doors. Eyeing them, he passed by the rooms with lights on, as he could already see that they were occupied. It wasn’t until he reached the end of the hall that he found one with the lights shut off.

Danny grinned, fist-pumping the air. _Yes!_ He finally got a practice room! He could feel his stress lifting as he stepped in and--

He froze as he took notice of the room. It was orderly, with empty music stands and a piano, except for a pink backpack, slightly squashed, sitting quietly next to the door. Danny’s eyes darted around. He noticed a few pages with something scribbled on them strewn around the floor, and…

Danny almost shrieked at the sight of a body lying on the floor beside the piano. His fingers tightened on the handle, and he considered his options. _Run away, go check on the person, call the cops…_

It was only when the person let out a slight groan that he made his instant decision, dropping his stuff and hurrying over to the fallen person. He knelt on the floor beside them and gently touched their shoulder. They recoiled from the touch and let out a soft protest.

“Hey,” Danny said quietly, placing a hand on their side, “are you okay?”

The person moved with some difficulty and turned to face him, and Danny’s eyes widened at the sight. It was a boy, about his age, and his left eye was purple and puffy. Dried blood caked his face from where it’d dripped from his nose, and from the way the boy was moving, Danny guessed his adversary had gotten a few kicks in here and there.

Danny’s heart ached for the hurt boy, and he pursed his lips as a wave of anger flooded through him. _Who would do this?_

“Ah, hello.” The boy didn’t seem very angry or upset, just in pain. He winced. “Um. Nice to meet you?”

Danny realized he’d just been staring and hurriedly tried to reply. “Oh! Uh, yeah. I’m Danny.”

“Arin,” the boy replied, gingerly touching his nose.

“Are...you okay?”

“Yeah. Had a little accident.”

Danny took a moment to process this. “What? An _accident?”_

Arin nodded sagely. “I fell off the wall outside this building while drawing something and whacked myself up pretty badly.”

The other boy just stared.

Arin rubbed his hand through his hair nervously. “I’ve never been in this building, but I went in looking for a restroom, and just...ended up on the floor in here. I dunno. I hurt too much to move anymore and it was quiet and dark.”

Danny couldn’t take it anymore. He started to laugh. He guffawed so loudly Arin leaned back in surprise. Danny just let the laughs roll over him in waves, not being able to believe the ridiculousness of the situation or _how the everloving fuck_ someone was able to screw up their face that badly and just decide _to take a goddamn nap_ in one of the practice rooms.

Eventually Arin started to laugh with him, although a bit reserved since it obviously hurt to laugh, and that just redoubled Danny’s chuckles because Arin had the most infectious laugh he’d ever heard in his life.

As the pair settled, Danny finally stood, offering his hand to the other boy. “C’mon. I’ll take you to the bathroom. You need to get that blood off your face, dude. You look terrible.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Arin joked, but accepted his hand and slowly brought himself to his feet, wincing.

 

~~~

 

Danny had finished his vocal warm-ups and clucked his tongue as he shuffled his recital piece, testing out the baritone line as he began to sing.

 

_Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling,_

_From glen to glen, and down the mountainside…_

 

It really was a beautiful piece, albeit a bit high, but Danny could pull off the alto line and even some of the soprano. He was so entranced, he didn’t notice Arin’s entrance back into the room.

As he turned, he noticed Arin leaning against the far wall, nodding his head, appearing to be deeply engrossed in the song. He stuttered on the line, ending abruptly, and Arin blinked in confusion.

“Uh. I didn’t see you come back in.” His cheeks heated slightly, but he wasn’t sure why Arin’s scrutiny made him so nervous. He’d performed countless times before. Why would this be any different?

“Oh, sorry, dude. I wanted to thank you for helping me out.” Arin definitely looked loads better now that the blood had been washed off and his swelling was going down slightly, although he’d have one hell of a black eye the next day.

“Yeah, no problem. I’m assuming you weren’t using this practice room…?”

Instead of answering, Arin padded over and scooped up the discarded papers Danny had noticed earlier, returned to a small desk on the opposite side, and sat. He pulled out some pencils and nodded. “Just pretend I’m not here.”

Danny tilted his head. “What’re you…?”

“Hey, technically, I was here first,” Arin said sternly, pointing a pencil at Danny, but there wasn’t any trace of malice in his voice. “So I’m gonna work on my goddamn homework, and you practice your music. I won’t make a peep.”

Uncertain, Danny pretended to study the sheets in front of him until he heard the sound of pencil moving across paper, and peeked up to see Arin concentrated on the sheet before him, writing...something.

Slowly, he started singing again, gaining confidence as Arin’s mouth twitched into a smile. He began to sing his heart out, putting all his soul into the song like he never had before, for some reason wanting Arin to be impressed with his singing.

As the hours slipped by, Danny stopped singing every now and then to chat with the strange boy with the blonde streak in his brown hair. He learned that Arin was an art major, like Ross, studying animation, and he enjoyed video games and things that were pink. In return, Danny told him a little about himself. He had to admit Arin was extremely fun to talk to, and so goddamn _funny._ He laughed more than he had in months.

The sun went down and suddenly Arin was packing up his things. Danny didn’t know what he’d been working on, but he felt the sudden sting in his chest as Arin slid his backpack on.

“See you later, dude,” Arin told him with a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It was fun. You have a really awesome voice.”

“Thanks,” Danny replied, his mind screaming: _Ask him his number! Or to come back tomorrow! Something! You idiot!_

Arin lingered at the door just a moment longer than necessary, and then he was gone.

Danny turned back to his music, but...he didn’t really feel like singing anymore.

 

~~~

 

He all but ran to the practice room again the next day, wondering if Arin would return. He’d enjoyed their time together yesterday and wanted Arin to listen to him sing again.

To his disappointment, when he reached the practice room at the end of the hall, no one was inside, not even a body lying on the floor. He flicked the lights on with a heavy heart, padding over to his seat.

There, he noticed a paper sitting on the music stand, waiting for him.

It was a drawing of him.

It was a beautiful pencil portrait of him, with his eyes sparkling, his mouth stretched into a happy smile, and his head tilted up slightly. He was singing and looking like he was having the time of his life.

Reverently, he picked up the paper, mouth agape at how amazing it was. Was _this_ the project Arin had been working on yesterday?

On the bottom of the page were the scrawled initials: _AH._

He flipped the page over and found a short note scribbled on the back: _Hey dude. Just wanted to let you know you’re an amazing singer. Hope you don’t find this too creepy, and if you do, too bad! You’ve got a new friend. I’ll be at your concert on the 21st. Found a flyer. Break a leg, Danny boy. Kisses, Arin._

Danny’s mouth was curled into a grin and he shook his head. _What a weird dude._

But nothing would disguise the fact that he’d look very carefully for a certain art major the night of his recital.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even have an explanation. I wrote this in half an hour after working nonstop on a British Lit paper and astronomy homework. I need sleep.
> 
> I want to try writing more AUs based on these two nerds, so this was more the ease me into it and fend off writer's block than anything. Also I'm sorry for the abrupt ending and how unsatisfying it is. I KNOW. If I had more energy I'd punch myself. But whatever, take it.
> 
> I promise the next one will be better. And longer. And this isn't even funny I don't know why I'm posting this.
> 
> Also, the choir song "Danny Boy" is beautiful. Listen to it sometime.
> 
> I need sleep.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!


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